Quill stop and gauge therefor

ABSTRACT

The disclosed embodiment of the present invention is a tool travel gauge which permits setting of one extreme limit of tool travel with respect to a workpiece. The gauge generally includes a member having a plurality of retaining surfaces thereon and spaced from one another along a longitudinal axis parallel to the tool feeding axis. A stop in the form of a clip is disposed for being received on any one of the retaining surfaces and is disposed for being engaged by an abutment mounted on the quill of the machine tool. Fine adjustment is provided by a micrometer screw which is adapted to move the member along its longitudinal axis with respect to the housing of the machine tool.

United States Patent [191 Stadtmiller [54] QUILL STOP AND GAUGE THEREFOR[76] Inventor: Malcolm L. Stadtmiller, 1457 Ferguson Way, San Jose,Calif.

[22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 181,963

[52] U.S. Cl. ..408/14, 33/185 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B23b 47/00 [58] Fieldof Search ..408/14, 11, 241; 33/185 R,

33/181 R; 90/11 B; 82/34 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,224,104 I 12/1965 Platt ..33/185 X 3,037,405 6/1962- Steyskal..408/241 Primary Examiner-Gil Weidenfeld Attorney-Leslie A. Hansen 51Apr. 3, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT The disclosed embodiment of the presentinvention is a tool travel gauge which permits setting of one extremelimit of tool travel with respect to a workpiece. The gauge generallyincludes a member having a plurality of retaining surfaces thereon andspaced from one another along a longitudinal axis parallel to the toolfeeding axis. A stop in the form of a clip is disposed for beingreceived on any one of the retaining surfaces and is disposed for beingengaged by an abutment mounted on the quill of the machine tool.

Fine adjustment is provided by a micrometer screw which is adapted tomove the member along its longitudinal axis with respect to the housingof the machine tool.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRBI ma I NVE N TOR.MQZCOZmLS'ZQdZmZ'ZZer H/S ATTORNEY Hal 7 6 QUILL STOP ANDYGAUGE THEREFORBACKGROUND In performing a cutting operation on a machine tool, it isoften desired to restrict the length of travel of the tool with respectto=the workpiece within predetermined limits. This feature is desirablewhen a number of identical machine cuts areto be made in succession. Themachine operator employing such a tool travel limiting mechanism is notrequiredto make a new measurement with each cut. Furthermore, themachine operator is free to make the complete cut without stopping atintermediate points to make repeated measurements to determine theextent of the cut.

Quite often, it is impossible to measure the amount of the cut withrespect to the workpiece, since the cut may not be easily accessible, asin the case of drilling a hole in a workpiece. Under such circumstances,the machine tool operatoris required to use a different reference fordetermining the amount of the cut. By employinga gauge which can be setto determine th length of the cut, this difficulty is overcome.

Tool travel limiting mechanisms are old in the art, per se, but suchprior known mechanisms suffer from one or more disadvantages. One of theprior known mechanisms for limiting the travel of the tool includes arod which is provided with micrometer threads along its entire lengthand is mounted parallel to the movement of the machine tool. A nut onthe rod is moved to a position corresponding with the length of the tooltravel and an abutment on the tool holding mechanism is disposed forengaging the nut and limiting the travel of the tool. This type ofmechanism requires a considerable amount of the machine operators timeto alter the tool displacement limits. That is, this type of mechanismsuffers from the disadvantage of not being able to provide a rapidchange in its adjustment. If such a mechanism is provided with coarsethreads so that such a change can be made rapidly, the accuracy of themechanism is greatly reduced. 7

Other tool displacement limiting mechanisms are capable of both coarseadjustment and fine adjustment. However, those mechanisms which arepresently 'known are relatively difficult to adjust and employcomplicated structures which interfere with the effi cient operation ofthe machine tool.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a mechanism for restricting the'length of travel ofa tool with respect to a workpiece which is capable of both coarse andfine adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism forgauging the length of travel of a tool with respect to a workpiecewithin certain limits, one of which is readily presettable.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide a tooltravel limiting mechanism which is relatively uncomplicated and does notinterfere with the efficient operation of the machine tool.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a memberhaving a plurality of retaining surfaces thereon spaced from one anotheralong a longit'udinal axis parallel to the tool feed axis and a stopdisposed for being received on any one of the surfaces and for beingengaged by an abutment on the tool feed mechanism. The stop is quicklyand easily moved by a machine tool operator from one recess to anotherto alter the coarse dimension of the tool travel. A further feature ofthe present invention resides in the provision of a micrometer screwmounted between the member and a housing of the machine tool foreffecting fine adjustment of the tool travel.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more fully realized and understood from the followingdetailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view partially in section and broken away of a machinetool, with a tool travel gauge constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3--3 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals throughout the various views of the drawing areintended to designate the same elements and components.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a feeding mechanism, tool, andtool holding structure of a drill press, generally designated with thereference numeral 10, which are supported in a housing 12. A quill 14 ofthe machine tool supports a collar 16. The housing 12 also supports atool travel gauge, constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention and generally designated with the reference numeral18, which is mounted for longitudinal movement in the direction of thetool travel thereon. The gauge 18 is generally formed of alongitudinally extending member 20 having a plurality of retainingsurfaces spaced equidistant from one another along its length anddisposed for receiving a plate 22 thereon. A micrometer screw, generallydesignated with the reference numeral 24, is disposed for moving themember 20 in a longitudinal direction a distance at least equal to thedistance between the centers of adjacent retaining surfaces on themember 20. When the feed mechanism of the machine tool 12 is set inmotion by an operator, the tool is advanced until the collar 16 engagesa plate 22, the position of which is determined by manual placement ofthe plate 22 on an appropriate retaining surface of the member 20 andadjusting the micrometer screw 24.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference to the figures of the drawing indetail, the drill press 10 is provided with a feed mechanism whichgenerally includes a rod shaped feed handle 26, a

feed shaft 28, a pinion gear 30, and the quill 14 having a rack 32mounted thereon and in driving relationship with the gear 30. The feedshaft 28 is rigidly secured to the gear 30 and supports the feed handle26 in one end thereof. Quill 14 is mounted in the housing 12 and isdisposed for longitudinal movement with respect thereto. Accordingly,rotation of the feed handle 26 by a machine tool operator causesrotation of the gear 30 and translation of the quill 14 in alongitudinal direction.

A spindle 34 extends through the quill l4 and is mounted for rotarymotion therein. A tool chuck 36 is mounted on one end of the spindle 34and supports a tool 38 therein which is disposed for engaging aworkpiece 40 and performing a cutting operation thereon. Rotation of thefeed handle 26 by a machine tool operator causes the quill l4, chuck 36,and tool 38 to move in a longitudinal direction as indicated by an arrowdesignated with the reference numeral 42. The spindle 34 imparts rotarymotion to the chuck 36 and tool 38 while they are being moved by thequill 14 in the longitudinal direction to perform the cutting operationon the workpiece 40. In the case of a drill press, of course, thecutting operation will result in a hole being cut in the workpiece 40.

As previously mentioned, it is desirable to accurately gauge the extentof the cut, or the depth of the hole which is being cut in the workpiece40. The extent of such a cut can be preset by the tool travel gauge 18,which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

A slot 44 is provided in the housing 12 which exposes a surface of thequill 14. A mounting ear 46, which is integral with the housing 12 isprovided at one end of the slot 44 and a collar 48, which is alsointegral with the housing 12 is provided at the other end of the slot44. The collar 16 which is mounted on the quill 14 extends through theslot 44 and is provided with an aperture 50 therein. Member is supportedfor longitudinal movement with respect to the housing 12 by means of themicrometer screw 24 which is mounted in the mounting ear 46. The otherend of the member 20 extends through the collar 28 and is disposed forlongitudinal movement therein as will be apparent from the descriptionof FIG. 2 hereinbelow.

The member 20 is illustrated as having a plurality of enlarged annularportions 52 separated from one another by annular recesses 54, which arespace equidistant from one another along the length of the member 20.The width of each of the annular recesses 54 are equal to one anotherand are of a dimension to accommodate the thickness of the stop plate 22therein. Accordingly, each of the recesses 54 form a retaining surfacefor supporting the plate 22. Member 20 extends through the aperture 50in the collar 16 and the bottom surface of the collar forms an abutmentwhich is disposed for engaging the upper surface of the plate 22 duringmovement of the quill 14 in the longitudinal direction and restrictingfurther movement of the quill. Accordingly, the extreme limit of tooltravel can be accurately established by appropriate placement of theplate 22 in one of the recesses 54 and adjustment of the micrometerscrew 24. Accordingly, a coarse adjustment of the limit of tool travelis provided by placement of the plate 22 in an appropriate one of therecesses 54 and fine adjustment of the tool travel is provided bylongitudinal movement of the member 20 with respect to the housing 12 bymeans of the micrometer screw 24.

The support for the upper end of member 20 in the collar 48 isillustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2. As shown therein, the member 20is provided with a keyway 56 which is disposed for receiving a key 58therein which is mounted in the collar 48. Accordingly, the member 20 ispermitted to move in a longitudinal direction, but is restricted fromrotary motion by the key 58.

The micrometer screw 24 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3. Asshown therein, a mounting stud 60 extends through an aperture in themounting ear 46 and is rigidly secured therein by means of shoulder 62engaging a bottom surface of the mounting ear 46 and a snap ring 64engaging an upper surface thereof. A screw 66 is provided withmicrometer threads on a portion 68 thereof which are disposed forengaging an internally threaded portion in one end of the member 20. Thescrew 66 is provided with an enlarged annular portion 70 and a shaft 72extending therefrom. Shaft 72 is disposed for being received in acentral aperture extending into the mounting stud 60 and is mounted forrotary motion therein. A roll pin 74, which is rigidly mounted in thestud 60, is disposed for being received in an annular recess of theshaft 72 for restricting longitudinal movement of the shaft with respectto the mounting stud 60, but permitting rotational movement with respectthereto. A vernier ring 76 is mounted on the enlarged annular portion 70of the screw 66 and is formly secured thereto by means of a set screw78. Rotation of the vernier ring 76 causes rotation of the screw 66,thereby displacing the member 20 in a longitudinal direction. It will benoted that the length of the micrometer threaded portion 68 is ofsufficient length to cause the member 20 to move in a longitudinaldirection a distance at least equal to the distance between the centersof adjacent recesses 54, thereby permitting fine adjustment of theposition of the member 20 with respect to the housing 12. The vernierring 86 is provided with a micrometer scale thereon as shown in FIG. 1and a fiducial mark (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of themounting ear 46 in relative proximity to an edge of the vernier ring 76.

The stop plate 22 mounted on the member 20 is better illustrated in FIG.4. As shown therein, the stop plate 22 is a forked shaped member formedby a pair of fingers 80 and 82 which are joined by a portion 84, whichportion is suitable for being manually gripped to permit the plate 22 tobe manually inserted on and retracted from the recesses 54. The internalsurfaces of the fingers 80 and 82 are provided with recesses 86 and 88,respectively, which extend to and are contiguous with a recess 90. Therecess 90 is disposed for receiving a spring clip 92 therein which isdisposed for resiliently engaging the surface of a corresponding one ofthe recesses 54. The spring clip 92 is retained in the recess 90 bymeans of a pin 94 extending through the plate 22.

It can be readily appreciated that the tool travel gauge of the presentinvention provides both coarse and fine adjustment of one of the limitsof the tool length of travel. These adjustments can be made readily bythe machine tool operator. Furthermore, it can be appreciated that thetool travel gauge of the present invention is relatively uncomplicatedcompared to prior known mechanisms and does not interfere with theadjacent operation of the machine tool. With the distance between thecenters of adjacent recesses 54 being known, an operator can quickly andeasily alter the position of the plate 22 and adjust the micrometerscrew 24 to obtain the desired amount of a cutting stroke without theuse of other measuring devices.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination with a machine tool having a housing and means fordisplacing a tool along a longitudinal axis with respect to the housingto'effect cutting of a workpiece,

a mechanism for limiting the path of travel of the tool with respect tothe workpiece comprising a. a member having a plurality of retainingsurfaces spaced longitudinally from one another thereon with thedistance between each defining a coarse adjustment,

said member extending longitudinally in parallel with the longitudinalaxis of the tool displacement,

b. means defining a stop and disposed for being received on any one ofsaid retaining surfaces,

0. an abutment secured to the tool displacing means and disposed formovement therewith to engage said stop means, and i d. means mountedbetween said housing and said member for effecting a fine adjustment ofthe relative longitudinal position thereof with respect to the housing.2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said member includes aplurality of recesses each defining a respective one of said retainingsurfaces and spaced equally from one another along the length thereof,wherein said stop means is formed of a clip having a thickness equal tothe width of each recess, and

wherein said fine adjustment means is disposed for displacing saidmember with respect to the housing a distance at least equal to thedistance between adjacent recesses.

3. A mechanism as defined in claim 2,

wherein said member is a rod and said recesses are annular, and

wherein said clip includes a spring conformably shaped to a substantialportion of the surface of each annular recess to firmly engage suchsurface.

4. A mechanism as defined in claim 1,

wherein said fine adjustment 2 means includes a micrometer screw havingone end thereof mounted for rotation on the housing and having the otherend thereof in threaded engagement with said member.

5 A mechanism as defined in claim 4,

further comprising a manually rotatable member having a micrometer scaletherein and secured to said one end of said micrometer screw, and

a fiducial mark on the housing in relative proximity to an edge of themicrometer scale.

6. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said abutment is formed ofa collar surrounding said member, and

said stop means includes a manually insertable and retractable platedisposed for being received on a respective one of said retainingsurfaces. 7. A mechanism as defined in claim 6,

wherein said member includes a plurality of recesses each defining arespective one of said retaining surfaces and spaced equally from oneanother along the length thereof, and

wherein said stop means further includes a spring clip attached to saidplate and disposed for releasably engaging one of said recesses.

1. In combination with a machine tool having a housing and means fordisplacing a tool along a longitudinal axis with respect to the housingto effect cutting of a workpiece, a mechanism for limiting the path oftravel of the tool with respect to the workpiece comprising a. a memberhaving a plurality of retaining surfaces spaced longitudinally from oneanother thereon with the distance between each defining a coarseadjustment, said member extending longitudinally in parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the tool displacement, b. means defining a stop anddisposed for being received on any one of said retaining surfaces, c. anabutment secured to the tool displacing means and disposed for movementtherewith to engage said stop means, and d. means mounted between saidhousing and said member for effecting a fine adjustment of the relativelongitudinal position thereof with respect to the housing.
 2. Amechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said member includes aplurality of recesses each defining a respective one of said retainingsurfaces and spaced equally from one another along the length thereof,wherein said stop means is formed of a clip having a thickness equal tothe width of each recess, and wherein saId fine adjustment means isdisposed for displacing said member with respect to the housing adistance at least equal to the distance between adjacent recesses.
 3. Amechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein said member is a rod and saidrecesses are annular, and wherein said clip includes a springconformably shaped to a substantial portion of the surface of eachannular recess to firmly engage such surface.
 4. A mechanism as definedin claim 1, wherein said fine adjustment means includes a micrometerscrew having one end thereof mounted for rotation on the housing andhaving the other end thereof in threaded engagement with said member. 5.A mechanism as defined in claim 4, further comprising a manuallyrotatable member having a micrometer scale therein and secured to saidone end of said micrometer screw, and a fiducial mark on the housing inrelative proximity to an edge of the micrometer scale.
 6. A mechanism asdefined in claim 1, wherein said abutment is formed of a collarsurrounding said member, and said stop means includes a manuallyinsertable and retractable plate disposed for being received on arespective one of said retaining surfaces.
 7. A mechanism as defined inclaim 6, wherein said member includes a plurality of recesses eachdefining a respective one of said retaining surfaces and spaced equallyfrom one another along the length thereof, and wherein said stop meansfurther includes a spring clip attached to said plate and disposed forreleasably engaging one of said recesses.